the last one, tonight it has been ten days and counting for some folks. when will the lights and the heat come back on? face to face, gabrielle giffords and her husband in a courtroom confrontation with the man who nearly killed her and the challenges facing president obama, are your taxes about to go up? and what a relief, no matter who they voted for, a lot of families feel like they woke up the winners on the morning after the election, because they got their lives back. nightly news begins now. good evening, it is the definition of adding insult to injury, with so many people, hundreds of thousands of people still crippled, along the east coast, many of them living in misery. a second storm has come along

making things worse while the storm covered victims in snow, as far north as the coastline in plymouth, massachusetts, where the ocean came up over the road and beach last night the feds report three quarters of a million power customers across six states still have no power. then, there is the search for gasoline, 38% of the area is out of gas, no power to run the pumps or both. and starting tomorrow morning, metropolitan new york will follow new jersey's lead and switch to a gas rationing system. we begin tonight with nbc's stephanie gosk in lawrence, on long island, good evening >> reporter: good evening, well, the mayor of this town and 22 other mayors have already written a letter quoting that the efforts to restore power is a failure. then as the nor'easter blows in, an additional 120,000 customers in new york and new jersey are in the dark.

and the anger is growing. this family keeps pumping, but the water keeps coming. 4,000 gallons so far, and no end in sight. the latest storm may have dropped record snow, but it has not stopped the cleanup. and fay has not lost her sense of humor. you're laughing about it? >> you know what, if i started to cry, i really don't know when i would stop. >> reporter: the family is staying at their daughter's house, the only one who had power restored after sandy hit. but it didn't last long. >> all of a sudden, it just went black. not even a flicker >> reporter: now, almost nobody in this town has electricity. >> people can't be 18, 19, 20 days without electricity in this day and age. >> reporter: restoring power throughout the region has now become more difficult.

>> some experienced power outages as a result of snow and wind yesterday, which set us back slightly. >> reporter: and the hard-hit area goes as far as point pleasant, new jersey. >> any time you have snow on top, doesn't make it much easier. >> reporter: crews around the country were already working around the clock. this team came from washington state. >> it is overwhelming, people don't realize, they see their small area, they wonder why it takes so long to get their power back on, but the amount of devastation is just so widespread that it is crazy. >> reporter: just down the road in bay head, the duncan's home is in -- unlivable. the only way to save what is left is to fish out soggy insulation like many, they wonder when the crazy weather will finally end. >> i mean, it is just like a joke, no, it is too cold for the locusts. >> reporter: surprising resiliency, for people who face daunting recovery.

the state of new york put an estimated price tag on this double hit from sandy and the nor'easter at $33 billion. but of course what people really want to know, brian, when will they get their power back thank you, stephanie, this storm added more misery to the folks on staten island, long described as the city's forgotten borough. ann curry went there after the lives were shattered. this week, she went back to check with the people who lost just about everything. >> reporter: 62-year-old grandmother phillis had evacuated with her family. just before sandy struck we first met her when she comprehended her loss. >> my house is gone, and everything i own, everything i have is not there anymore. it is breaking my heart, because -- because it is all gone. >> reporter: this week, with the nor'easter, we caught up with her again, and phillis was still

trying to get her prized possessions, some of them scattered a mile away. >> any time we come here for the first time, i can't breathe. and then i start to cry, and i say just shut off, just do the job. >> reporter: a job, finding treasures. >> my dad? and my uncle. you found this today. >> means the world, i can't replace it. >> reporter: her neighbors also lost their home in a storm. when we caught up with them in the hours afterwards, peter, a 9/11 responder and an iraq war veteran say they got out just in time. but he ended up being carried by the storm surge on a neighbor's roof. >> the water was so rough coming in that we were afraid we were going to drown. >> reporter: even now, he still can't believe he survived. >> that was all that was on my mind the whole time. i promised myself i'm coming home. my wife wouldn't be able to go without me. i didn't die in the trade center or baghdad, and i won't die in the front of my house in an ocean. >> reporter: they rented a house in their children's school

district >> reporter: while they worry they may go bankrupt, they are trying to stay strong emotionally. >> like anything you love that you lose, you have to mourn it. you have to move on. it won't be easy >> just keep swimming. just keep swimming >> reporter: two families among tens of thousands in the new york area just trying to move on. ann curry, nbc news, staten island. >> ann's return to staten island was for tonight's new broadcast of "rock center." and we hope you can join us at 10:00, 9:00 central. >> there has been an international incident involving iran. and the pentagon says a u.s. drone was fired on by iran in the international air space over the persian gulf last week. now the timing of this disclosure is raising questions tonight. we have our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel with more. >> reporter: brian, this mission was classified. the predator drone was not even hit, let alone shot down. so why talk about it now?

it seems that the pentagon is trying to give a very public warning to iran that if this kind of thing happens again, the u.s. could respond militarily. they may also want the american public to know this is going on in case we wake up one morning and hear there has been an exchange of fire between the u.s. and iran. all the indications are that iran, containing their nuclear program will be a big prioty for the term of this president well, this incident certainly is on the record now >> thanks for your reporting on it tonight. out west, high drama in a courtroom in arizona, as the man accused of shooting congresswoman gabrielle giffords in the head, wounding a total of 13, killing six others, received his sentence today. he looked the victims in the eye as they told him how he hajed their lives

nbc's miguel almaguer in tucson, good evening >> reporter: brian, good evening, jared lee loughner, now 24, never addressed his victims and showed no emotion as he was sentenced to prison, without the possibility of parole, for life. many addressed him for the first time ever, there was tears, anger, grief, and for some, resolution. one by one. >> going to be great, we're not going to let him win. >> reporter: victims like mave stoddard arrived in court. to face the gunman who killed six and wounded 13 gabrielle giffords looked at loughner, and held her husband's hand as mark kelly spoke firmly. you may have put a bullet through her head but you have not put a dent in her spirit. after today, after this moment, here and now, gabby and i are done thinking about you. the victims say this is not closure, but a step forward.

>> i will never forget the horror of that day. the loss of my dear friend, dave zimmerman. the loss and wounding of so many good people. >> reporter: the courtroom was packed with victims and their families shot in the face and leg, he says now you must live with this burden and never again see the outside of a prison it left the member of gabrielle giffords's staff, a nine-year-old, and others dead nine-year-old christina taylor, meeting gabrielle giffords. she said you turned a civics lesson into a nightmare. i want to shake you and scream at you as if that would matter. mave stoddard shook, her husband used his body to shield her from the gunfire.

loughner looked blankly toward her while his parents went. stoddard said you took away my life, and reason for living. your family is not to blame. i do not blame them. at the end of the sentencing today, loughner walked past his parents but didn't seem to acknowledge them. the victims stayed in the courtroom exchanging hugs and tears. this ends the federal case against jared lee loughner. and local officials say they will not pursue charges with this resolution. brian? >> miguel, thank you, in tucson. after a rough day in court in tucson two days after this presidential election we still don't know the results from florida, the count of provisional absentee ballots continues there. president obama maintains a slight lead, but if it is much closer there could be a re-count. meanwhile, a cliffhanger between republicans and democrats in d.c., one that involves automatic tax increases and spending cuts. the congressional budget office says it could go up to 9.1%.

it is what they call for good reason, this fiscal cliff. andrea mitchell has more. >> reporter: the campaign was tough. victory is sweet. now comes the hard part. >> on january one, 2013, there will be a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases. >> reporter: the economy could go off that cliff. so what exactly is the fiscal cliff? it is a nightmare combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that congress and the president agreed to. to force themselves into a compromise. but so far, they have not agreed on anything. so barring a last-minute fix at the stroke of midnight on new year's eve, the bush tax cuts expire. the alternative minimum tax kicks in. more than half of all married couples with two children would owe an additional $4,000 in taxes per year, for those with three children or more, that

jumps to $4700. on top of that, the payroll tax cut would expire. so add on a 2% tax increase for most workers, with automatic spending cuts in a thousand government programs, including defense, medicare, extended unemployment benefits. everything but veteran's benefits and social security, and federal pensions congress says that action would act as a break on the economy, throwing it back into recession and could cause a market crash. >> people watching very closely is can the administration actually tackle those fiscal issues, or is there a risk of more uncertainty, more gridlock, and america certainly going off that fiscal cliff? >> reporter: one senator who retired said this is a price that washington created. >> i hope people have learned a lesson in this last election on what people are thirsty for and that is constructive bipartisanship. we cannot minimize the situation this country is facing.

i do believe that this is an area, we're at a tipping point in this country >> reporter: and consider this. the states with the most families in the country suddenly to get hit with that alternative minimum income tax? where else? new jersey, another burden on top of all of those storms. this is the president's first crisis since his re-election and the white house announced today he will address it in a speech tomorrow afternoon. >> andrea mitchell with us here, thank you. and still ahead as we continue along the way. the moment of crisis in the middle of hurricane sandy. stories of heroism we have not seen or heard about until tonight. firefighters making rescues they never imagined. and later, a very welcome sound when the battle stops in those battleground states.

one of the most awful scenes in the middle of hurricane sandy happened in the neighborhood in new york, that is the cradle of

public servants the storm quite literally hit the firefighters where they live in the community of bell harbor in the rockaways. 10% of the force was affected. we are just now learning the stories of the heroes in that neighborhood. the fire department will be handing out medals for bravery. but first tonight, their stories from nbc's katy tur. >> we got to start putting the water on the fire. >> reporter: many here will remember it as the night hell came through their town, a fury of fire and flood. new york city fire department assistant chief bob mains walked us through what is left on just this street, beach 130. >> this is a firefighter's home. >> reporter: dozens of homes were destroyed, but there were just as many heroes. among them the very humble ron cassar of engine 265 he dove under the rising water to find a hydrant and attach a hose. don't you feel as though maybe

you did something extraordinary? >> nothing more than the other members of my -- company would do. across town, tommy in queens was working when they got a call, people trapped >> the water was this high, coming up to the top of the windshield. >> reporter: when they got there, there was not just water but a wall of fire. a river of water between them, he had to swim and then climb a building to get to those trapped >> one woman was pregnant, there were a minimum of six children. >> is there a possibility of getting a tower? amid the rains and fire, he brought people through the roof tops through an open window and out on to a rescue boat. >> this was not anything i have ever experienced. >> reporter: back on 130, it was quick thinking that saved the home of the retired firefighter, charlie and his wife, nancy. the lifelong rockaway resident. >> i worked in harlem, brownsville, the lower east side.

i went to a lot of fires but when it is personal, it is tough. >> reporter: and for these guys, it is family. >> i remember charlie schooling me, and his brother, walter, taking me out one night, explaining what to do and what not to do. >> reporter: despite the damage, charlie and his family and neighbors say it is tougher than it looks. and they will rebuild. it is a place too rich in tradition, friendship and family to keep them away. katy tur, nbc news, new york. >> incredible story, up next here tonight. a very common medication is making health news tonight for a good reason.

we mentioned that common medications in the news tonight, in a danish study, people taking statins for their heart, and

then had cancer, had a lower risk of dying from cancer. it seems that cholesterol is necessary for cells to grow, and when you block it, you may stop cancer cells from growing, as well. well, we always say that elections have consequences, especially for the losing campaign. it is clear the romney campaign was prepared for a victory election night. sources say the moment romney himself said "it is not going to happen," while his wife ann cried by his side that night the campaign victory celebration fireworks in boston harbor had to be taken down. somehow this ended up on the web, the romney feature, how to join the romney administration that of course, was not to be. by now, most of us know the phrase jumping the shark to mean the moment something goes from relevant to passe, to overdone, bob brunner wrote the episode of

the tv series "happy days," in which fonzi jumped over a shark while on water skis, the show lasted five more years, after the show that immortalized irrelevant as a phrase. he made laverne and shirley, and the odd couple. he was 78 years old. up next, a lot of people getting a well-deserved vacation without ever leaving home.

r finally tonight, for millions of americans, the folks who live in those battleground states, it is as though a huge burden has been lifted now that the election is over. suddenly what seemed like a never-ending assault of campaign ads and calls on tv has stopped, making some like those nbc's john yang in ohio feel like they have gotten their lives back. >> reporter: in dublin, ohio, it is the dawn of a new day for this couple. no more campaign ads, robo-calling or mail-ins. >> it is almost like a weight is moved off your shoulders. >> reporter: ohio has been buried under more than 40,000 ads since october one, almost 1400 a day.

watching them back-to-back would have taken nearly two weeks. then there were the campaign stops. president obama and mitt romney both visited ohio four of the last six days of the race. >> cleveland really does rock, you know that? >> reporter: and the phone calls, e-mails and door knocks. almost three quarters of the people in ohio say they had heard from a campaign. we first visited the family who both voted for governor romney in late october. >> well, the ads were on continuously from 5:00 in the morning until we go to bed at night. >> reporter: their ordeal became fodder for late-night comedians. on election night, this comedian tweeted let's chip in and send ohio to a well-deserved vacation to hawaii. >> it actually reminds me after the super bowl, the day after the big game, where people are just ready for a long nap. >> reporter: while not all the

battle lines are down yet, people are slowly emerging from the trenches, hoping for a little peace and quiet. she hopes not to get dragged into the debate. >> show me the fun things you're doing. i want to see your dog. >> reporter: how long will it last? >> political insiders are already laying odds to the campaign of 2016. >> reporter: the mckittricks couldn't believe their ears. >> oh no, let's just have a breather. >> reporter: as the family, like a lot of people in ohio, want time to recover from battleground fatigue. john yang, columbus, ohio. >> i am with her, let's just have a little bit of a breather. that is our broadcast tonight, thank you, i'm brian williams, we hope to see you for "rock center," and then back here for tomorrow evening. good night.

right now at 6:00, we're tracking rain across the bay area. jeff rannieri updates the forecast. plus, new details in the death of the giants fan who was celebrating the world series. >> thanks for joining us on this thursday evening. >> she did it for the safety of your kids and it cost her her job. a veteran bay area school bus driver fired by durham bus services after raising concerns about mechanical problems with her bus. now, the driver said she was tankd because she spoke to the